Operation China

Aling January 8 heard of them. They no SICHUAN longer wear any traditional GUIZHOU clothing that might visually •Panzhihua distinguish them from other •Dayao YUNNAN •Wuding groups. •Kunming •Chuxiong •Mile •Yuxi Scale Customs: The Aling is one 0 KM 160 •Kaiyuan of many groups in the area Population in China: who celebrate the annual 5,600 (1999) Torch Festival. According to 5,740 (2000) one visitor, “The first two 7,200 (2010) Location: Yunnan days of the festival were Religion: Animism fairly rough and ready, but Christians: None Known on the third day the girls had a chance to compete against one another in the Overview of the Aling beauty contest. The scene Countries: China for this event was a leveled Pronunciation: “Ah-ling” piece of ground on a Other Names: mountain slope. Early in the Alingpo, Gan Yi, Yiqing, Yiqin morning, the slope was Population Source: 5,600 (1999 J. Pelkey); already crowded with girls Out of a total Yi population of carrying their yellow oilcloth 6,572,173 (1990 census) COM YWAM umbrellas, looking from a Location: Yunnan: Shizong Location: A total of 5,600 ethnic Aling distance like so many yellow blossoms on (3,000), Luliang (2,400), and Shilin (200) counties people live in Yunnan Province, China. The the grassland. I heard that girls from Status: majority inhabit the villages of Yimai, Faze, counties all around had set off for this Officially included under Yi Chezhai, Musheluo, Yinie, Qianjia, contest two or three days before, making Language: Sino-Tibetan, Shugandian, and Dashao within Shizong their way across mountains and rivers. The Tibeto-Burman, Burmese-Lolo, girls gathered together, formed circles and Lolo, Northern Lolo, Yi, Eastern Yi County. Some 2,400 Aling dwell in the Longhai Mountains of Luliang County, while began a dance called duoluohe. The panel Dialects: 0 just a few hundred more inhabit villages of judges consisted of elderly villagers. They Religion: Animism, Ancestor Worship, No Religion within the Guishan, Zhuqing, and Dake shuttled about amidst the dancers trying to Christians: None known districts of Shilin County (formerly called find suitable candidates. The first criterion Scripture: None Lunan County). In Shilin, the largest Aling was that she should be a Yi girl living in the Jesus film: None concentration is found in Yumeidu Village of countryside. The other criteria was simple: 1 2 Gospel Recordings: None the Guishan District. an oval face and a tall, slim figure.” Christian Broadcasting: None ROPAL code: None Identity: The Aling are one of many Religion: Although many Aling no longer subgroups of the Yi nationality in southern consider themselves to be religious, China. They view themselves as a distinct traditionally the Aling were animists, Status of Evangelization people group with their own history and worshiping a host of spirits and protective 83% language. The Han Chinese call the Aling deities. different names in different locations. In Luliang County they refer to the Aling as Christianity: The gospel has made no 17% Gan Yi (Sweet Yi). In Shizong County they impact at all among the unreached Aling 0% call them Gan Yi (Dry Yi) (Here a different people group. They have never been Chinese character for Gan is used). In targeted by missionaries or church planters. A B C Shilin County the Aling are known as the A 1922 mission report issued a challenge A = Have never heard the gospel Yiqin or Yiqing. for workers to give their lives to reach the B = Were evangelized but did not become Christians Yi, a challenge which still stands true C = Are adherents to any form of Language: The Aling language falls into the today: “These aborigines are tall, strong, Christianity Eastern Yi group of Tibeto-Burman brave, keen, and clever, and some of them languages. It contains some similarities are extraordinarily anxious that with Da Hei Neisu and Xiao Hei Neisu. missionaries should go and teach them. Whoever takes up this work needs to be History: Very little is known about the courageous and to have plenty of grit. Such history of the Aling. Few people have ever a one would become an uncrowned king.”3 32 ALING.

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